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1 t e e h S v S t e nu h S 2 R. E ET A AR G E V PM S J M d 0 M Q W No. 411,184. Patented Sept. 17, 1889.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. F. BRAYER.

STOVE GRATB.

No. 411,184. Patented Sept. 17, 1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. BRAYER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE COOPER- ATIVE FOUNDRY COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

STOVE-G RATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 411,184, dated September 17, 1889.

Application filed March 6, 1889. Serial No. 302,072- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN F. BRAYER, of Rochester, county of Monroe, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stove-Grates; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and

to figures and letters of reference marked thereon.

My present invention relates to improvements in that class of stove'grates capable of being shaken and a portion or all of the fire removed or dumped into the ash-pit by the partial or complete movement of one or more sections; and it has for its object to improve their construction and operation, whereby they can be more cheaply made and positively 2o operated to perform either the dumping or shaking operation without liability of deranging the parts.

The invention has further for its object to provide suitable means for operating the ro- 2 5 tary section of a grate, whereby all liability of leaving it in any but the correct normal position is prevented.

To these ends the invention consists in certain improvements in construction and com- 0 bination of parts, all as will be hereinafter described, and the novel features pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

K In the drawings, Figure l is a front view of a portion of a stove provided with my im- 5 provement-s; Fig. 2, a longitudinal sectional View of the grate, taken on the line :1: 5c of Fig. 3; Fig. 3, a top plan view of the grate and stove-base top plate; Fig. 4, a horizontal sectional View on the line 3 y of Fig. 2; Fig. 5,

a cross-sectional view on the line .2' z of Fig. 3 5 Figs. 6 and 7, longitudinal, sectional, and top plan views of a modification; Fig. 8, a perspective view of the operating-handle.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate similar parts.

The letter A in the drawings indicates the top of the bottom portion of a stove preferably provided with the depending flange or inner ring port-ion B, within which the grate 5o proper operates, and C indicates the gratesupporting ring 011 which the grate proper D operates. As one means of constructing this grate-support, I provide the ring C with two laterally-projecting arms C, one on each side, and a third arm C at the rear, and to secure it in position enter the arms C C in suitable recesses formed in plate B, and secure the arm C in position by means of a small latch-piece B secured to the ring B by a bolt 5, as shown,which latch may be turned in its pivot, releasing said arm and permitting the removal of the supporting-ring, when desired, by moving it to the rear and disengaging the arms C.

The grate-body, indicated by the letter D, is preferably circular in form, with a fiat upper edge and hopper-shaped on the inside, said sides being formed of bars D united by a web D around the central opening, as shown. This body rests upon the top of the ring C, being provided with a slight depending flange d, extending below the top of the ring, as in Fig. 2, and it is adapted to be rotated thereon slightly to permit the shaking of the fire to remove fine ashes, as will be described.

At the center of the grate is proy ided a rotary dumping-section E, consisting of a central web having cutting-fingers E thereon, the bearing being provided at the ends in the grate, as shown, and preferably above the fingers and web, so that the weight of the fuel will be supported upon this portion without liability of turning and dumping it unless positively operated.

Heretofore in this class of grates the dumping-sections have been journaled in the grate and the latter held. down upon its support by suitable interlocking lugs or catches; but I propose to lock the grate and prevent upwardmovement by extending the rear end or bearing portion E of the dumping-section beneath said ring, as in Fig. :2, this not only locking the grate down, but also holding the section in position and preventing its upward movement in its bearings. The front end or bearing E is preferably made angular, and over this is slipped the recessed end of a shaft section or spindle F, extending to the outside of the stove, on which the shaking-handle is placed, as will be described. A suitable recess 13, is formed in the plate B, and also an aperture G in the front G of the stove for the passage of said shaft", both being somewhat elongated, so as to permit of the lateral oscillation of the grate, when desired, and arranged upon the said front is a plate H, provided with a perforation through which the shaft passes, adapted to slide laterally when the grate is oscillated, being held in position upon the front by means of suitable lugs h formed on the front, and securing-bolts 71, passing through slots 7t h, between the heads of which bolts and the lugs suitable washers h2 are placed, as shown. The plate H is prevented from outward movement by the bolts and the spindle F, by means of a small lug or shoulder f formed upon it and abutting against the plate H, or a boss provided on its rear side around the perforation.

As stated, the depending bars D are united by a web D which prevents their warping, but does not extend quite to the top of the bars; but slight spaces are left at this point, so that the ashes and clinkers will be permitted to slide down without clogging, and still the bars will not be left without lateral support, so as to permit warping.

The fingers E on the dumping or cutting section are preferably unconnected at their outer portions, but extend around on the under side in the form of ribs substantially concentric with the axis of the sections, as in Figs. 2 and 5, affording a rounded ribbed support for the fuel during rotation, which is not liable to catch in the fuel or clinkers,-and the finger-ends are so sharpened that they will cut through any clinkers that might be caught between them and the grate-sides.

In placing the grate in position the ring 0 is secured in the manner described and grate D placed upon it. Then the section E is placed in from the upper side, its rear journal E being entered beneath the ring and its forward end on the grate. Then the shaft or spindle F is inserted through openings G and B and engaged with said forward end, and the plate 11 secured in position. hen desired to remove the section E through the fire-pot without removing the latter, the plate H may be loosened, the spindle F moved forward, and the section E moved so as to release journal E from beneath the ring-support and lifted out, being withdrawn through the stove-door.

The forward outer end of spindle F, which is in effect a continuation of section E, is preferably polygonally shaped for the application of an operating-handle for the purpose of rotating the section and also of oscillating the whole grate on its ring-support for shaking the fire and removing fine ashes. Instead of having the end of the spindle square, I prefer to cut off one corner and form the recess in the end of handle K in a similar manner, and so arrange the section E and the flanges on the stove-body and handle that the latter can only be placed on the spindle and removed when the grate-section is in proper normal position, thus insuring its being lef in position to support the fire.

For the purpose of obviating the objection urged against dumping-grates in general that the rotating section is liable to be left by the operator in a position to permit the fire to fall into the ash-pit, I propose to construct the operating-handle so as to interlock with the stove-body and prevent its removal until the grate is returned to normal position; and as one embodiment of this portion of the invention I provide near the grate-operating spindle a flange J, arranged to project in proximity to said spindle, and construct the operating-handle K as in Fig. 8, with arecess k, adapted to fit the spindle end, and a flange K, cut away at K on the side next the flange J when the handle is placed in the spindle. \Vhen the rotary grate-section is in normal position, as shown, the handle is placed upon the spindle, the cut-away portion of the flange permitting it to move on until it is back of flange J. Now, upon rotating the handle the flange K will move behind flange J and prevent the withdrawal of the handle until a complete rotation is made, bringing the cutaway portion of the flange in position again, so that the operator cannot remove the handle and leave the grate-section in other than normal position.

A'further objection incident to movable grates having dumping-sections is that no provision is made for holding the grate stationary during the cutting and dumping process, the tendency being when the cuttingsection is operated for the grate to move around depending on the direction of movement of the handle, and this objection is further increased should a hard coal or clinker catch between the cutting portion and the grate-fingers. This objection I overcome by providing a small plate M, preferably hinged in proximity to the spindle F,having a recess M therein adapted to co-operate with said spindle or the operating-handle thereon when moved into position, as shown in Fig. 1 in dotted lines, said plate, when the grate is to be oscillated, being moved up into the position shown in full lines in said figure.

The operation will now be understood. hen desired to oscillate the grate, the handle is engaged with the spindle, the plate M raised, as in Fig. 1, and the grate moved around on its ring-support, the plate l-I sliding back and forth and preventing the exit of dust, &c., while the engagement of the rear portion E will hold it on the ring-seat. Should it be necessary to cut out a portion of the fire, the handle is engaged as before, the plate M dropped down over it, and then the handle is rotated, the recess M preventing lateral movement of the grate. The flanges K and J will prevent the withdrawal of the handle until a complete rotation is made, thus insuring the return of the grate to norm al position.

In some instances instead of employing the ring 0 and making it removable I form or secure a series of supporting-lugs N N upon the inner side of the plate B, upon which the grate rests, and secure the latter byproviding a plate 0 at the rear side having a flange 0 adapted, when the parts are in normal position, to project over the end of the portion E, as in Figs. 6 and 7. This plate may also serve as a connecting-piece, bridging the slot formed in the rear side of plate B for permitting eX- pansion and contraction, as usual, but this is not essential; also, instead of employing the removable spindle F, I may form the section and spindle in one piece, as shown. The plate B in this structure,it will be observed,ser\' cs as the grate-support, and the spindle of the rotary section engages it in the same manner, as in Figs. 2, 3, and 4:. The flange 0 on the plate 0 is sufficiently long to con fine the end of the bearing-spindle E during the oscillation of the grate, and the extent of the movement may be determined by a suitable stop (such as one of the bolts or lugs confining the plate H) which is capable of being removed when desired to lift out .the movable section, allowing the grate to be moved farther around and the end E to pass from under the flange, permitting it to be lifted up and the sect-ion drawn out toward the rear; or the plate 0 can be removed and the end E lifted up sufficiently to permit the withdrawal of the section. Iprefer, however, to employ the removable section F first described, as I am thus enabled to remove the rotary section vertically, which operation would be difficult of accomplishment in the last-described construction without modification of the stove-casing. Still in some instances this construction might be preferred.

It is obvious that the locking arrangements for the spindle and handle could be used as well in any other form of revolving grate, whether capable of oscillation for shaking or not, and I do not desire to be confined to its use in this particular form of grate.

Various other modifications could be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, as will occur to those skilled in the art.

I claim as myinyention 1. The combination, with the grate-body composed of inclined bars connected at their lower ends slightly below their upper sides, of a rotary section consisting of a central web having a series of cutting-fingers extending around the under side in the form of separate ribs, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a grate and asupport therefor, of a removable section forming a part of said grate and supported upon it, having an extension cooperating with the under side of the grate-support and holding the grate in position thereon, substantially as described.

The combination, with a grate and a support therefor, of a rotary grate-section support therefor on which it may be oscillated,

of a section adapted to be rotated supported on the grate, having a journal-extension passing beneath the support and holding the grate in position thereon, substantially as described. 4

5; The combination, with a grate and a support therefor, of a removable rotary section supported on the grate, having a journal-ere tension passing ben eath the support and holding the grate in position thereon, substantially as described.

(3. The combination, with a grate and a support therefor, of a rotary section supported in open be'arin gs on the grate, having a journalextension adapted to be passed beneath the grate-support, and a removable spindle or shaft co-operating with said section, by which it may be operated, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with a grate mounted 011 a support and capable of being oscillated thereon, a rotary dumping-section mounted on the grate, having an extended operating shaft or spindle, of a movable plate having a recess for co-operatin g with the spindle when the section is to be rotated, preventing the oscillation of the grate, but adapted to be moved out of the way, permitting the oscillation of the grate when desired to shake the fire, substantially as described.

S. The combination, with a grate capable of being oscillated, a rotary section thereon having an extended operating-spindle, of a plate pivoted on the stove-body, having a recess therein adapted, when in one position, to eo-operate with the said spindle and prevent oscillation, substantially as described.

9. The combination, with a rotary gratesection having an operating spindle or shaft and arranged to be rotated on the axis of said spindle, of an operating-handle adapted to be applied to the spindle end, having a projecting portion, and a stationary flange or projection with which the projection on the handle co-operates during the rotation of the grate-section for preventing the removal of the handle until it is returned to first position, substantially as described.

10. The combination, with a rotary gratesection having an operating spindle or shaft and arranged to be rotated on the axis of said spindle, of an operating-handle adapted to be applied to the spindle end, having the segmental flange, and the stationary flange or projeetion with which the one on the handle engages during the rotation of the grate-section, preventing the removal of the handle until returned to first position, substantially as described.

11. The combination, with an oscillating grate having a rotary section thereon, of a movable latch or projection engaging a movable portion of the grate for preventing its oscillation when the section is to be rotated, substantially as described.

12. The combination, with the grate-section having extended spindle and capable of being oscillated laterally and of being rotated on its axis at any point, of a movable plate having a recess co-operating with the spindle when the section is to be rotated and adapted to be moved out of the way to permit the section to oscillate to shake the fire, substantially as described.

13. The combination, with a grate capable of oscillation laterally, and a rotary section mounted thereon having the extended spindle and capable of rotation at any point, of a movable plate having a recess co-operating with the spindle when the section is to be rotated and adapted to be moved out of the way to permit the section to be oscillated to shake the fire, substantially as described.

14. The combination, with the grate and a support therefor, of a rotary section supported in open bearings in the grate, having a lug, and a journal-extension adapted to be passed beneath the grate-support, and a removable plate with which said lug co-operates to prevent endWise motion of the section sufficient to release the j ourn al-extension from the gratesupport, substantially as described.

JOHN F. BRAYER.

Witnesses:

FRED F. CHURCH, H. G. PHILLIPS. 

